With the repetitive stopping and collecting of trash through residential and commercial neighborhoods, there are many ways that a garbage truck may be involved in an accident. Accidents can be caused by simple distractions, misjudged distances, vehicle malfunction, or trash falling from the truck. Plus, at their size, accidents typically cause significant damages and injuries.
Combining their function with negligence, a poorly maintained or operated garbage truck is a danger to everyone on our Englewood roads. It is essential that the drivers and other employees in these vehicles properly perform their duties and secure their loads. Objects flying from the truck could strike another vehicle or require a driver to make an evasive maneuver that results in a collision. In that case, the garbage truck driver may be liable for all resulting damage.
An Englewood garbage truck accident lawyer may be able to help when a garbage truck driver or crew’s poor decisions have led to your injuries. This could include demanding compensation from the driver, the trash collection company, or the city. The legal team at Morelli Law Firm is ready to work for you. Reach out to us today at (212) 751-9800 for your free consultation.
How Garbage Trucks Are Particularly Dangerous
Every vehicle on the road has the potential to inflict life-altering injuries. Even collisions at slow speeds can impart thousands of pounds of force on a person’s body and require them to seek immediate medical care. Of course, a garbage truck’s greater size and weight will often result in the people in the smaller cars suffering far more serious injuries than those inside the garbage truck.
Also, a garbage truck’s large size creates blind spots that even the best mirrors cannot help drivers see. Adding to the risk is the fact that drivers and their crews may become distracted by picking up trash and returning cans to the side of the road.
These distractions, combined with the possible use of cellphones or CB radios while behind the wheel, are another major contributor to garbage truck accidents. A lawyer could help provide more information about the dangers that garbage trucks and their drivers pose to other travelers.
The Parties that May Carry Blame for the Incident
Those who suffer injuries from an accident with a garbage truck must prove that the garbage truck driver’s actions were the cause of the collision. A truck driver may be at fault for an accident by speeding, not using turn signals, failing to yield when required by law, or by not properly securing their trash loads.
When the courts consider a claim for damages following an accident, it must evaluate the actions of all involved parties and assign blame accordingly. Under the New Jersey Revised Statutes §2A:15-5.1, a court will reduce an injured party’s claim for damages by the percentage of blame that the injured person carries. In addition, if this percentage rises to 50% or more, the court will dismiss the case in its entirety.
The legal team at the Morelli Law Firm can help to show how a garbage truck driver or the company itself was responsible for a crash. In other situations where a city or municipality owns the vehicle, these government entities may also share the blame. An Englewood garbage truck accident lawyer is ready to fight for you. Give us a call today at (212) 751-9800 to learn more.
Englewood Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Collisions with Garbage Trucks Can Change a Person’s Life
The goal of every personal injury case is to demand the compensation that you need to get your life back on track. Of course, to determine the amount of this compensation, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of this incident on your life.
The core of the claim will be physical injuries. These typically include concussions, broken bones, separated joints, and spinal cord injuries. An at-fault driver or another party must always provide compensation for all necessary medical care costs associated with the incident.
Also, car accidents can be traumatic events for some people, and it is not unusual for some to experience flashbacks, nightmares, or other emotional traumas that can affect every part of their lives.
Colliding with a garbage truck may result in severe damage to a person’s vehicle, forcing them to either repair or replace it. In addition, they may miss out on significant income while they make a recovery or endure a permanent injury that forever limits their ability to support their family. Working with an attorney could help ensure that you pursue your case for an appropriate compensation package.
Attorneys can also help to meet the time limits that apply to your case. According to the New Jersey Revised Statute §2A:14-2, you have only two years after an accident to demand payment. Act quickly to protect your legal rights.
Garbage Truck Drivers and Their Employers May Be Liable to Provide Compensation After an Accident
All drivers on Englewood’s roads have a legal duty to operate their vehicles safely and protect the wellbeing of others. If a garbage truck driver is at-fault for an accident that caused your physical injuries, the drivers and their employers are responsible for providing compensation for your losses.
An Englewood garbage truck accident lawyer is ready to fight by your side. The legal team at Morelli Law Firm works every day with people like you to explain your rights, evaluate the facts of the case, and determine how the incidents have affected your life. There is a limited time after an accident to demand payment, especially if the accident involved a city garbage truck. Contact Morelli Law Firm today at (212) 751-9800 to get started.